Rance, G. A. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2025

Bioelectronic Modulation of Glioblastoma via Wireless Carbon Nanotube Porin Interfaces

The membrane potential (Vmem) and faradaic charge transfer, resulting from altered charge distribution due to ion channels, play a crucial role in cellular bioelectricity. Disruption of Vmem can activate pathways associated with cancer proliferation. Manipulating ion channels may therefore present an effective strategy for treating cancers that fail to respond to conventional therapies. One approach to target these channels, is to manipulate the membrane charge which involves the use of wireless bipolar electrodes such as carbon nanotube porins (CNTPs), which could be inserted into cell membranes to mimic these channels. By utilizing membrane dyes, we observed alterations in Vmem induced by CNTPs and externally applied electric fields. Analyses of cellular behaviors and processes indicated that Vmem is more receptive to stimuli in invasive cancers, while it leads to increased metabolism in less invasive cancers, with notable changes in the cell cycle occurring at approximately 48 hours post-treatment in GBM cell lines. This work shows that CNTPs and electric fields can be used to modulate Vmem and alter cancer cell processes, supporting their potential therapeutic capability.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2018

The expa1-1 mutant reveals a new biophysical lateral root organogenesis checkpoint

In plants, post-embryonic formation of new organs helps shape the adult organism. This requires the tight regulation of when and where a new organ is formed, and a coordination of the underlying cell divisions. To build a root system, new lateral roots are continuously developing, and this process requires asymmetric cell division in adjacent pericycle cells. Characterization of an expansin a1 (expa1) mutant has revealed a novel checkpoint during lateral root formation. Specifically, a minimal pericycle width was found to be necessary and sufficient to trigger asymmetric pericycle cell divisions during auxin-driven lateral root formation. We conclude that a localized radial expansion of adjacent pericycle cells is required to position the asymmetric cell divisions and generate a core of small daughter cells, which is a prerequisite for lateral root organogenesis.\n\nSIGNFICANCE STATEMENTOrgan formation is an essential process in plants and animals, driven by cell division and cell identity establishment. Root branching, where lateral roots form along the primary root axis, increases the root system and aids capture of water and nutrients. We have discovered that tight control of cell width is necessary to co-ordinate asymmetric cell divisions in cells that give rise to a new lateral root organ. While biomechanical processes have been shown to play a role in plant organogenesis, including lateral root formation, our data give new mechanistic insights into the cell size checkpoint during lateral root initiation.

plant biology↗